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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270400">Draco Malfoy's Greatest Challenge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoctuaLusa/pseuds/NoctuaLusa'>NoctuaLusa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Turned Into a Ghost, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Good Parent Draco Malfoy, Good Parent Narcissa Black Malfoy, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Mother-Son Relationship, POV Draco Malfoy, Podcast: Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Supportive Narcissa Black Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:48:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoctuaLusa/pseuds/NoctuaLusa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the final hours before Halloween, Draco Malfoy is faced with his greatest challenge. Will he be able to prove himself?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fanatical Fics Halloween Writing Competition 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Draco Malfoy's Greatest Challenge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/purelygreen/gifts">purelygreen</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>How did he get involved with this? Draco Malfoy tore his hair. Not for the first time this evening – his platinum blond hair did not lay flat on his skull but stuck in all directions. It was terrible. A <em>catastrophe</em>!</p><p>In despair, he stared at the mess in front of him. The clock ticked constantly, he did not have a lot of time left – Halloween approached fast. How would he <em>ever</em> succeed?</p><p> </p><p>From the room next door, he could hear a loud, happy squeal – and the high, clear laugh of a woman. His son and wife.</p><p>Of course. That’s why he got involved in this in the first place. He would do <em>anything</em> for the two of them. And she had looked at him with these hazelbrown eyes, as if he really was, well, the great man she seemed to see in him. He wanted her to always look at him like that. He could still remember a time when she had not – when she had, in fact, looked at him like he was something disgusting. Sometimes, in the early moments after waking up in the morning, he was still afraid everything had only been a dream. But she was always there, smiling at him, believing in this new, redeemed, trustworthy Draco.</p><p>Draco wanted to prove her – and himself – that he was indeed worthy of her trust. A good wizard, a good hustband – and a good father.</p><p> </p><p>The squealing was repeated. Scorpius was such a lively and cute little boy. Drace was sure that his son would collect a lot of sweets tomorrow. If only...</p><p>Yes, if only he, Draco, would <em>finally</em> finish Scorpius‘ costume!</p><p>Right now, it was only a heap of orange fabric, laying in front of him. A pumpkin, it should become. It had been Scorpius‘ declared wish.</p><p> </p><p>Well, to outsiders the conversation between father and son might have sounded like the following:</p><p>
  <em>Draco: „Hey little pumpkin, what do you want to be for Halloween?“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Baby, babbling and drooling: „Bumbin!“</em>
</p><p>But as his father, Draco had understood perfectly. Scorpius Malfoy wanted to toddle around as a little orange ball. And Draco would make sure that his son would be the cutest orange ball the world had ever seen!</p><p>When Hermione had asked him if he needed any help making the body part of the costume, he had shook his head. A few hours later, he had regretted this. Sewing a costume was, even with magic, harder that he had thought.</p><p> </p><p>Again, Draco tore his hair, when suddenly he heard a voice behind him.</p><p>„What is it, my son?“</p><p>He spun around and found himself face to face with the pearlywhite figure of his mother.</p><p>„...“ Draco was speechless. This did not happen often and he was quite proud of that. But seeing your own mother, years after her death and without any warning, can do things even to the most composed of people.</p><p>„My son, you seem distressed.“ Narcissa’s ghost lifted a hand as if to flatten his tousled hair but other than a cold breeze, Draco could not feel it.</p><p>„Mother,“ he whispered finally, his voice cracked, his eyes stinging.</p><p>Narcissa smiled at him, maybe warmer than she had for most of her life. „My son,“ she repeated. „I have roamed many places since I have left you. But tonight, I have felt that you need me. How can I help you?“</p><p>She looked at him as intent as he could have ever wished for and without really noticing, Draco had told her everything. About Scorpius‘ wish to be a pumpkin, about the fabric’s unwillingness to be brought into shape and his very own fear of failure. „I just want my son to be proud of me,“ he whispered finally.</p><p>Narcissa’s smile was full of love (and, maybe, a bit of regret). „I am going to help you, my son. I will teach you whatever I know about costume making.“</p><p> </p><p>And she did, quietly talking her son through the neccessary steps to transfigure the orange mess into a neat round shape, in parts with spells, in parts with conjured needles and thread (Draco only pricked himself twice), reminding him of the colourful costumes she had made for him when he was a little boy himself. „Your favourite costume had been a peacock,“ she said smilingly. „I had to enlarge it a couple of years in a row.“</p><p> </p><p>Just when the clock in the corner of the salon stroke midnight, they were done. A perfectly shaped roughly toddler-sized pumpkin lay in front of Draco – and Hermione stuck her head in the door, waving a wobbly, hand-knitted hat with a green stem on top. „I finished my part! How’s the rest going?“ she asked casually. Her eyes widened when he held up said rest.</p><p>„I had some help,“ he admitted, turning around to smile at Narcissa. But she had left already, leaving behind only a lingering smell of pale flowers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This oneshot took the first place in the Halloween Writing Competition of "Fanatical Fics and where to find them" - if you like podcasts and fanfics, check it out! It's the most wonderful thing.</p><p>The prompts were:<br/>- Included Character (does not have to be the main character): Any existing canonical ghost OR any character as a ghost<br/>- Item: A pumpkin<br/>- Plot point: Takes place at halloween<br/>- 500 - 2000 words</p><p>Andrea, this is for you - thank you for inspiring me with relentless Dramione shipping and fanart sharing. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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